The injury nightmare shows no signs of ending for Ben Simmons. On Thursday, Simmons was ruled out for the rest of the season by the Brooklyn Nets due to a back injury after playing just 15 games. This latest setback means he would have played just 57 games in his last three seasons, but will earn $106 million in that time.
2021-22 Season: 0/82 games, $33 million
2022-23 Season: 42/82 games, $35.4 million
2023-24 Season: 15/82 games, $37.8 million
That’s about $1.8 million per game, which is ridiculous, but that rate might be even higher a year down the road. Even after this season, Simmons has a year left on the five-year, $177 million extension the Philadelphia 76ers gave him in 2019. He is owed $40.3 million in 2024-25, and a buyout might be on the cards here.
When you look back at these three seasons, most of the time he has missed has been due to his back. In 2021-22, Simmons had infamously held out, as he wanted to be traded from the 76ers. He would get his wish midway through the campaign and was sent to the Nets.
Simmons never managed to suit up for the Nets that season, however, as he was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back after the trade. The Australian finally returned to the court in 2022-23 and played 42 games but was diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back in March 2023, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.
The nerve impingement is what he continues to deal with now and Simmons is exploring treatment options for it. It is a real shame how the persistent back issues have turned the 27-year-old into a shadow of his former self.
In the 2020-21 season with the 76ers, Simmons averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He was an All-Star and had finished runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year to Rudy Gobert.
Fast forward to 2023-24 and Simmons only averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. At this point, it is hard to be optimistic that the three-time All-Star will be able to stay healthy moving forward and turn back into the player he once was.
Ben Simmons’ Agent Took The Blame
With Simmons having faced so much criticism over his inability to stay on the court, his agent Bernie Lee spoke on the matter earlier this week. Lee took the blame for Simmons’ ongoing injury struggles.
“We continue to try and find non-surgical options to allow Ben to move forward on a permanent basis and that is where this is my responsibility and I am [the] one to blame,” said Lee via Ian Begley. “When I began working with Ben I made a commitment to him that I would do everything I could to find the right answers and specialists for him to work with [in order] to move forward from the issues he has been having. Clearly, it hasn’t happened and that’s my responsibility.”
Simmons had signed with Klutch Sports when he entered the NBA in 2016 and Rich Paul was his agent. They mutually parted ways in 2023, after which he hired Lee. While one would appreciate him taking the bullets for his client, there is only so much even Lee can do in this situation.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
